For the past 14 years, the Speak Up Research Project has collected and reported on the views of 4.5 million K-12 students, educators and parents regarding digital learning. Using current and longitudinal Speak Up data, we will provide new insights into the use of games, mobile devices and digital content within learning, and counter mythology with the authentic views of students, teachers and parents regarding technology use within instruction. Going beyond anecdotes and assumptions, this interactive and eye-opening presentation will provide leaders with new metrics for evaluating the pulse of elearning in their school or district.

1. Taking the Pulse of eLearning
Today:
The Views of K12 Students,
Educators and Parents
Julie Evans, CEO, Project
Tomorrow
@JulieEvans_PT

2. Project Tomorrow, a national
education nonprofit organization
Programs:
• Research & evaluation studies
• STEM education programs
• Advocacy for digital learning
Mission: To ensure that today’s
students are prepared to become
tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and
engaged citizens of the world.

3. Many thanks . . .

5. Be part of the discussion!
#ETC2016 @SpeakUpEd

6. Something new in the air in schools today . . .

7. • Connecting digital learning with global skill
development
• New classroom models gaining acceptance
• Criticality of connectivity – in school and at
home
• Changing ideals for measuring outcomes and
results
• New approaches to developing teacher capacity
• Evolving culture for professional development
Key trends from our research:

8. • Learning is a 24/7 enterprise for students
• Blurring of informal and formal arenas for
learning
• Students as content producers not just
consumers, especially in the arts
• Game-based learning is changing classroom
dynamics
• Self-directed, collaborative learning is
preferred
• Desire for greater personalization
Key trends from our research:

9. Key trends from our research:
• Learning is a 24/7
enterprise for students
• Blurring of informal and
formal arenas for
learning
• Students as content
producers not just
consumers, especially in
the arts
• Game-based learning is
changing classroom
dynamics
• Self-directed,
collaborative learning is
preferred
• Desire for greater
personalization
• Connecting digital
learning with global skill
development
• New classroom models
gaining acceptance
• Criticality of connectivity
– in school and at home
• Changing ideals for
measuring outcomes
and results
• New approaches to
developing teacher
capacity
• Evolving culture for
professional
development
New sense of
urgency to get it
right

10. Key finding from our research:
Students, educators and parents agree –
we need a different kind of learning
experience to prepare students for the future

11. “Knowing it and
seeing it are two
different things.”
Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

13. “Without data, you are just another
person with an opinion …
Introducing the
Speak Up data to inform new
discussions and better
decision-making around the
use of technology for learning

14. Annual research project
 Using online surveys + focus groups
 Surveys for: K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents,
Administrators, Community Members
 Special: Pre-Service Teachers in Schools of
Education
 Open for all K-12 schools and schools of education
 Schools, districts & colleges receive free report
with their own data
 Questions about how eLearning = 21c education
Speak Up Research Project
4.5 million
surveys
since 2003
Data informs: policies,
programs, funding at
local, state and federal
levels

15.  Learning & Teaching with Technology
 College and career ready skills
 Students’ Career Interests in STEM
 Professional Development / Teacher Preparation
 Internet Safety / Data Privacy Issues
 Administrators’ Challenges / Bandwidth Capacity
 Emerging Technologies both in & out of the Classroom
 Mobile Devices, Online Learning, Digital Content, E-texts
 Educational Games, Social Media tools and applications
 Flipped Classroom, Print to Digital, Online Assessments
 Designing the Ultimate School/Classroom
Speak Up survey question themes

17. o K-12 Students
o Teachers
o Parents
o Administrators
Activities
Attitudes
Aspirations
To understand the pulse of
e-learning, let’s examine a
sampling of key Speak Up data
findings from California
schools:

18. Speak Up 2015 national participation:
505,676
Survey Audience # of Surveys
Submitted
K-12 Students 415,686
Parents (in English and
Spanish)
38,613
Teachers & Librarians 40,218
Administrators – school,
district, technology,
communications
4,536
Community members 6,623

19. Surveys from California Schools
Survey Audience # of Surveys
Submitted
K-12 Students 34,356
Parents (in English and
Spanish)
4,221
Teachers & Librarians 2,837
Administrators – school,
technology, communications
404
Community members 724

20. Mobile Learning
Digital Content
New Classroom Models
Sampling of Speak Up data findings

21. Mobile Learning

22. 32%
40%
73%
84%
44%
42%
50%
52%
59%
66%
63%
40%
24%
20%
23%
12%
Gr
K-2
Gr 3-5
Gr 6-8
Gr 9-12
Digital Reader Tablet Laptop Smartphone
CA students’ personal access to mobile
devices

23. Do CA students have access to mobile
devices in their classroom?
Types of access CA
Teachers
report:
National
Teachers
report:
Students use their own devices (loaners
available too)
19% 17%
School assigns devices to students – use
at school only
31% 20%
School assigns devices to students – use
at school and at home
8% 12%
Teacher can check out devices to use in
class
26% 31%
Students do not have regular access to
devices
27% 31%

24. Benefits to using mobile devices in the
classroom
Top benefits as articulated by CA parents, teachers
and administrators:
1. Increases student engagement in learning
2. Extends learning beyond the school day – providing
opportunities for self-remediation by students
3. Provides access to online textbooks
4. Enables more personalized learning
5. Supports greater student ownership of the learning
process
6. Facilitates stronger teacher-parent-student
communications
7. Helps students develop workplace ready skills

25. Parents are “mobilists” also – and believe
in potential of mobile learning
42% of California parents say they would
purchase a mobile device for their child to use in
school – 15% say they already have!

26. Digital Content

27. Types of digital content
Teachers –
CA Schools
Teachers –
Nationwide
Videos or movies that I find
online 69% 68%
Powerpoints, Prezis 66% 68%
Game based environments 49% 48%
Google Apps 51% 42%
Digital content subscriptions 37% 36%
Online curriculum 38% 36%
What digital content are you using in your
classroom?

28. How are you using videos, movies or
animations within instruction?
CA teachers report various instructional goals:
Activate students’ prior knowledge 72%
Engage students in material 71%
Introduce a lesson or unit 70%
Illustrate a difficult concept 62%
Make lesson more relevant 60%
Facilitate a class discussion 60%
Address different learning styles 57%

29. Student question: In what
class are you watching
videos for learning?

30. CA students: In what subjects have you
watched online videos or movies for
schoolwork?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

31. CA students: What are the benefits of
watching videos for learning?
Benefits Grade 6-8 who
agree
I can watch it over and over 64%
Easy to access on mobile devices 57%
Makes it easier for difficult concepts 56%
Connects learning to real world 58%
Easy to find all kinds of videos 57%
Fits my learning style 55%
More engaging; keeps my attention 49%
I feel more in control of my learning 46%
I learn more from watching a video than reading a
book
42%

32. CA parents: What are the benefits of
students watching videos for learning?
Top benefits reported:
1. Complements what the teachers shares in class
2. Connects what students are learning to the real
world
3. Fits different students’ learning styles
4. Students can self-remediate by watching over
again
5. Provides a different learning approach than
offered by the teacher

33. Benefits
• Increases student
engagement
• Enhances
relevancy and
quality of
instructional
materials
• Personalizes learning
• Extends learning day
• Differentiates school as
innovative
Concerns
• Teacher training
• Providing enough
computers/devices
• Balancing instructional
priorities
• Evaluating quality
of digital content
• Student safety
• Integration
Principals’ take on digital content

34. 52%
34%
58%
45%
74%
43%
61%
24%
63%
41%
44%
68%
45%
78%
Colleague referral
Includes PD
Teacher created
Teacher evaluated
Teacher modifiable
Student achievement
Research based
Principals Teachers
Metrics for evaluating digital content
quality

35. Effective use of technology in specific
content areas
Content areas CA Principals National
Principals
English/Languag
e Arts
70% 58%
Science 55% 51%
Computer
Science
51% 51%
Math 48% 43%
CTE 39% 52%
Principals say:

36. What do CA teachers say they need to
more effectively use digital content in the
classroom?
1. Planning time with colleagues
2. Classroom set of laptops, tablets, or
Chromebooks for student use
3. Professional development
4. Tech support when I need it
5. Funds to purchase digital content or apps
6. Consistent, reliable, high speed Internet
access

37. New Classroom Models –
Virtual, Blended, Flipped

38. What best represents your CA
classroom?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Traditional Blended Flipped Virtual
Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
Teachers

39. Where are districts seeing positive outcomes
from digital initiatives including new classroom
models?
Digital Solutions Implemented
– positive
results
Implemented
– too early for
results
Considering
for this year
Using student data to inform
instruction
69% 23% 2%
Use of digital content in the
classroom
51% 31% 7%
Online classes for students 36% 25% 10%
Blended learning
implementations
27% 33% 17%
Use of digital textbooks rather
than print textbooks
24% 30% 17%
Competency based
learning
24% 24% 14%

40. Defining blended learning:
 Hybrid learning approach combining
supervised learning in a brick and
mortar school with self-paced learning
that is online
 Students have some element of control
over time, place, path and pace of their
learning online
Source: Christensen Institute and iNACOL

41. Which of these classroom models would
be best for your child?
CA Parents say:
Blended learning class 53%
Traditional class 44%
Flipped learning class 22%
Virtual class 2%

42. Principals: Benefits of blended learning
Benefits Principals –
CA schools
Principals –
nationwide
Extends learning beyond class time 65% 68%
Personalized learning 64% 58%
Increased student engagement 61% 62%
Students take more responsibility
for learning
51% 51%
Enhanced relevancy of curriculum 49% 44%
Improved student outcomes 39% 40%
Technology is used effectively 35% 37%

43. Principals: Challenges with blended
learningChallenges Principals
–
CA
schools
Principals –
nationwide
Educating parents on their role 63% 61%
Identifying best practices for teachers 59% 47%
Securing funding to support plans 58% 49%
Metrics for evaluating program success 45% 45%
Identifying/procuring curriculum or content 43% 37%
Identifying best model for your school 44% 41%
Integration of the content within instruction 26% 25%

44. California parents are more willing to help
with funding for digital learning
Willingness to support a school technology fee?
15%
14%
22%
21%
62%
64%
Parents- CA
Parents- Nationwide
Not Sure Unlikely Likely

45. Another type of new learning environment
CA students are “self-blending” outside of school to
pursue self-directed, academic passions
o Watching a video to learn how to do something (79%)
o Research a website to learn more about a topic
(77%)
o Using social media to follow experts or learn what
people are thinking about (55%)
o Playing online games or simulations (50%)
o Using online writing tools to improve writing skills
(38%)

46. Something new in the air in schools
today . . .
But, what is needed
to take our digital
learning plans to
the next level?

47. “Imagine you are designing the
ultimate school for today’s
students, what technologies would
have the greatest impact on
learning?”
Favorite Speak Up Question:
Education Decision-Makers

48. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Online classes
Laptop for every student
Digital textbooks
Games
Schoolwide Internet
Principals Teachers Parents Gr 6-8 students
Do we have a shared vision in California
around digital learning solutions?

49. .
1. Engaging parents in digital learning plans
What topics would you like to know more
about?
o Apps/software that could help my child with learning at
home
o Technology in use at my child’s school
o Internet safety in place at my child’s school
o Student data privacy policies
o What technology I should have at home to help my
child succeed at school
o How can I work with my child’s teacher to improve
learning
o Different classroom models at my child’s school

50. 2. Supporting teachers with appropriate
professional development
What is on your wish list for professional
development?
o Using technology to differentiate instruction
o Using educational games within instruction
o Using technology tools for formative assessment
o Using mobile devices in the classroom
o Identifying mobile apps for classroom use

51. 3. Appreciating the benefits of digital
learning from the student perspective
As a result of using technology, I am …
o Developing creativity skills
o Collaborating with other students more
o Learning in a way that fits my personal style
o Applying knowledge to practical problems
o Better understanding class materials
o In control of my learning
o Developing critical thinking skills
o Communicating with my teachers more often

52. 4. Articulating needs for enhanced teacher
skills with digital tools to our preparation
programs
Principals’ expectations for new teachers:
o Know how to differentiate instruction with technology
(80%)
o Use digital content effectively within instruction (72%)
o Use technology to communicate with parents & students
(70%)
o Create/source multi-media for classroom use (68%)
o Fluency with online assessments (63%)
o Manage a class where every student has a device
(58%)

53. Key finding from our research:
Students, educators and parents agree –
we need a different kind of learning
experience to prepare students for the future

54. Understanding the pulse of e-learning
today – look beyond the obvious and
realize that it is really about new learning
paradigms

55. National Speak Up reports and infographics
Targeted and thematic reports
Digital learning trends
Mobile learning & social media
Games in the classroom
Blended learning outcomes
Presentations, podcasts and webinars
Services: consulting, workshops, evaluation
and efficacy studies
More Speak Up? www.tomorrow.org
New national report to be released in April
2016

56. Online surveys for:
o K-12 students – individual + group
o Parents – English and Spanish
o Teachers
o Librarians/Media Specialists
o School Site & District Administrators
o Technology Leaders
o Community Members
All schools are
invited to
participate
Surveys open
October 2016
Participate in Speak Up!
Sign up to receive
information at:
www.tomorrow.org

57. Your
thoughts,
ideas,
questions

58. Thank you for this conversation today!
Julie Evans
jevans@tomorrow.org
949-609-4660 x15
Twitter: JulieEvans_PT and SpeakUpEd
Copyright Project Tomorrow 2016
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